Fifty Shades of NY: Valentine's Day Bonus Story
by bebebillotchi
Summary: It's four months after the wedding, and a blizzard has immobilized New York City. How will Kind Sir and Penelope spend their first Valentine's Day together? A short glimpse into the future in three chapters. AU. I do not own these characters. Story content and writing Copyright Bebe Billotchi, 2014.
1. Chapter 1

_**FSONY: Penelope and Kind Sir's First Valentine's Day**_

**AN**: A little treat for everyone! Just a little short bonus for the holiday!

It's four months after the wedding, and Penelope and her Kind Sir are celebrating their first Valentine's Day together.

This will be a completed short story - three chapters - with just a glimpse into the near future. I will post the first two chapters today, providing we don't lose power/Internet service again with the snowstorm, then the final chapter tomorrow.

**NOTE:** There are still several wedding chapters to follow in FSONY - and many more beyond that, so don't worry! (And many of them are already written.) This bonus will not include any real spoilers to the plotlines that haven't been wrapped up yet.

Happy Valentine's Day!

_**Chapter One**_

"Ahhhhh-_**CHOOOO!**_" Jeffrey sneezed, strolling along the line of cubicles on that Friday morning.

To add to his list of annoyances that morning, there were already three inches of snow on the ground in Manhattan. He already had a cold, and those damn Grey Boys didn't help matters much with his two favorite assistants. However, with the weight of Elena Lincoln's flower toss hanging over his shoulders, he refused to say a damn word.

Instead, he chose to swallow it all - his pride, his mucus, even his argument with Alan over which restaurant reservations they should cancel for the evening (they'd made three, just to make certain they could indeed dine at one of their favorites). It was Valentine's Day, and they should all just share the love...

Jeffrey did feel slightly sad for Jillian, who only had two vases of roses on her desk, compared to the six of her counterpart. Only Christian Grey would buy his wife those obscenely expensive "black roses" - which took on more of a very dark purple tone - on Valentine's Day. _Six dozen_, however, in Jeffrey's thoughts, were indeed a bit of an extravagance. However, Ana was about to receive yet another dozen of red roses that morning from Ray. That young lady was loved. And what he adored most is that she was so appreciative of every single petal.

"Old man!" Ana squealed, her eyes just welling with immediate tears as she tore open the card. Oh, she missed him. _Miserably_. This weather had to break soon so that they could make another trip to Washington!

"Oooh, yes!" Jillian squealed on the other side of the cubicle wall, fist pumping in the air. Elliot had stayed at her studio the night before so that he could honor their Valentine's Date in spite of what had been promised to be some rather frightening weather. The three inches that had already covered the city that morning was an early indication that he did indeed make the right decision. "Ana, your hubs is a good man!"

"Oh, what did he do _now_?" Ana said, clicking out of the manuscript she was editing to check her e-mail. "Oh...ohhhh! He truly is my Kind Sir..." Suddenly, Ana flushed, realizing what she'd said out loud before rows of her colleagues. Oh, they'd never get it, she assured herself...she hoped.

Ana began to read:

_**From: Christian Grey**_

_**Subject: Blizzard Advisory**_

_**Date: Friday, February 14, 2014, 08:30**_

_**To: All Hands**_

_All:_

_Due to the treacherous weather conditions today, we will be closing all New York offices/divisions of GEH today at noon, 12 PM, EST. This includes, Grey Enterprise Holdings, Grey, LLC and Grey Publishing Inc._

_Should you have transportation issues, please discuss the situation with your immediate supervisor. All efforts will be made to accommodate. Hotel rooms, in the case of dire emergency for critical staff living outside the five boroughs of Manhattan, will be covered and should be billed accordingly on monthly expense reports (See attached form). Otherwise, working remotely this afternoon will be encouraged for all employees._

_Please have a safe trip home, and have a good weekend. Furthermore, have a wonderful Valentine's Day._

_Regards, _

_Christian Grey_

_CEO, Grey Enterprise Holdings, Inc._

"Well, then...happy V.D., my two favorite ladies!" Jeffery mustered, his head so stuffed with congestion that he almost couldn't hear himself speak. Out of his messenger bag, he pulled two small boxes of Cluizel French chocolates, the same treats that Ana had, in fact, bought for Christian. They were his favorite. Oh, it was no wonder they were best friends.

And two pairs of long, thin arms wrapped around him. It might just be a happy day, after all, Jeffrey thought. At least for those two young ladies.

"Do you need some cough drops?" Ana cooed.

"Tylenol? I have some," Jillian added.

Covering his lips with his hands like a megaphone, Jeffrey stage whispered, "Just go home and have fun with those Grey brothers!"

However, Ana gave no regard to his immediate order. Back to work she went, but as she continued on with her manuscript, she felt that a proper reply to her husband was only appropriate.

_**From: Anastasia Grey**_

_**RE: Blizzard Advisory**_

_**Date: Friday, February 14, 2014, 09:17**_

_**To: Christian Grey**_

_Dear Kind Sir:_

_Thank you for your notice of our early closing...as well as for the roses...and for that tantalizing wake-up call this morning. All are greatly appreciated in this celebration of our first Valentine's Day together._

_May I please ask the Husband what time he expects to arrive home this afternoon? Perhaps Penelope has some plans in store...to keep us warm from the cold outside._

_Kisses,_

_A_

_Anastasia Grey_

_Editorial Assistant_

_Grey Publishing Inc._

"_Soooo_...what are _you _guys doing this evening?" Ana asked as she sat down on the edge of Jillian's desk, forgoing work for the moment. It was just one of those days where nothing was expected to actually get done. Friday. Valentine's Day. And a _blizzard_.

"Elliot says that he can see from my window - Chinese take out is open!" Jillian said. "Luckily, we bought our wine last night!"

Little did they realize that Christian had actually paid off the chef at the restaurant where they'd initially made reservations. Shop might be closed, but dinner would be arriving later that afternoon at Jillian's apartment for his brother and her best friend. Along with a bottle of champagne. It was their gift to Elliot and Jillian on that frigid, but wonderful, day.

Ana could hear that familiar ping of her e-mail, and reluctantly, she rolled up the sleeves to her red blouse and headed back to her desk. Oh, yes, the husband had replied...

_**From: Christian Grey**_

_**Subject: Snowed In**_

_**Date: Friday, February 14, 2014, 09:38**_

_**To: Anastasia Grey**_

_Baby -_

_Guess we're gonna have to get a refund on those theater tickets for this evening, as all performances on Broadway have just been canceled...but I'm not worried. Sounds like you might have other plans for us? _

_Where and when shall we meet? I'm open - although home seems to be the best option._

_Kisses,_

_KS_

_Christian Grey_

_CEO, Grey Enterprise Holdings, Inc._

"Annabelle - ten-thirty is canceled," Jeffrey's voice rang out through his open office door. "Apparently, our marketing director is digging her way out of the Jersey Turnpike and won't quite make it!"

She had to laugh how a snowstorm could quite literally shut down one of the world's biggest cities. Business lost - her gain. Oh, she had plans for Christian Grey...

_**From: Anastasia Grey**_

_**Subject: Plowed Out**_

_**Date: Friday, February 14, 2014, 09:52**_

_**To: Christian Grey**_

_Dearest Husband:_

_I do understand the importance of carrying out business. And I completely comprehend your likely need to remain in the office after the early COB today. _

_Might you meet me in the RROP Suite this afternoon, say...around three PM, if possible, Kind Sir? I would certainly love to see you there._

_Please let me know what works best for you at your earliest convenience. _

_More kisses,_

_Penelope_

_Anastasia Steele_

_Editorial Assistant_

_Grey Publishing, Inc. _

"Elliot's coming to get me now," Jillian said over the wall. "He's worried they'll shut the BQE down. You think his brother is going to flip?"

Waving her hand in the air, Ana said, "Let them deal with it. And let Jeffrey handle Elliot if he has a problem...but I don't think he will be."

Ana felt the hug from behind her, which caused her to swivel in her desk chair. "I love you, best friend," Jillian said.

"Full report tonight," Ana reminded her, "_as we always do_...and Happy Valentine's Day, Jill..." Ana slipped her a card tucked into a huge red envelope. There was a gift certificate for a local spa inside.

"Ana..." Jillian minded her before she even opened the card.

"Read it later, and we'll discuss," Ana said. In the card, she'd poured out her heart, thanking Jillian for her undying confidence, her ability to make her laugh until her tummy hurt, for listening...and for just being so true and blue. "Go finish up. That boar of yours is awaiting..."

"So is yours!" Jillian stuck her tongue out at Ana.

"Fair point...well made..." Ana retorted.

Now, all Ana needed was that boar's response to her proposal...


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

It took Ana more time to get home than she anticipated...and damn that little stop at a shockingly packed Zabar's on the way home. Who the hell knew that everyone on the Upper West Side would be clamoring for caviar that snowy afternoon. She was still, as Christian often teased, a newbie to the city. But learning her little way around just made her feel fierce.

After a quick check-in on the cats, those two growing little furbabies who had already sprouted to six and eight pounds - with Pierre in the latter range - she gathered her bags and rushed down the hallway in such a fury that Sawyer just shook his head.

"All alright, Mrs. G?" he wondered out loud in the elevator, toting some of her bags. It was Valentine's Day. _Oh, those two were just gonna get all mushy in their little secret love den_, he thought. He was just thankful that there were no cameras inside. The last thing he wanted to see was the boss making love with her husband.

"It's all good, buddy," Ana assured him as the car stopped, and she scurried with her packages out of the car. It was nearly two-fifteen, and she had little time to prepare. Dammit, if she just hadn't had a manicure with Jillian the previous afternoon, she would have chewed all ten of her nails off!

Sawyer carried her packages quite dutifully to the door, then stopped rather awkwardly. He did not - under any circumstances - want to go inside.

"Uh...help you with anything else, Mrs. G?"

Ana had to laugh. She had convinced him so long ago to address her by her first name, but ever since the wedding...she was simply "Mrs. G."

"All's good, and thank you," she squeezed his shoulder.

"I'll be upstairs, giving watch upon this door - after you're all locked inside," he said. "And Happy Valentine's Day, Mrs. G."

"Back to you! And don't stay here all night!" She hoped he'd enjoy the cupcakes and champagne she'd left at Center Command for him...and she also had faith that Christian would cut their security crew that evening so that Sawyer could go have a lovely date with his lady friend. Rumors had been circling for a bit that he'd been dating a theatrical choreographer with a huge hit presently on her hands. Ana certainly didn't want to keep them apart for the holiday.

However, once the door was closed and dead-bolted, she began to panic. This could quite easily go down in the history of Anastasia Rose and Christian Trevelyan Grey as _The Valentine's Day That All Went Wrong_.

Dropping two shopping bags to the floor with a thunderous thud, Ana simply stood between the purple velvet sofa and the four poster bed and willed herself to calm down. The first thing she needed to do was put the damn caviar in the fridge, then start the chocolate sauce. And then...she had to figure out how the hell to wiggle her way into that lingerie she bought.

It was her own brilliant idea to buy that fondue pot on their honeymoon. Now, neither one of them had an inkling as to what the fuck to do with it. However, Ana forged ahead, and tried her best to translate the instructions. Oh, those French classes at the Alliance Française on top of her four years of the language in college - and a honeymoon in France - weren't helping her a damn bit.

As she poured a generous amount of gel fuel over the grill to begin warming the fondue pot, she unbuttoned her little red blouse with her free hand. Multi-tasking was crucial to pulling everything off before Christian's arrival. As she struck the flame, she struggled with her black pencil skirt, shoving it off her hips and kicking it to the floor. Panties...bra..._tights_! She still had so much to remove, and so little time. And there was simply no stalling her husband. He promised he would meet her in the RROP at three, and he was never late. Not even a blizzard could cause him to be tardy.

"I'm naked in a studio with a bondage bed..." she muttered to herself. "If I died right now, my father would be mortified...and he would take that shotgun off the wall - no matter how much he loves my husband."

Pulling out her skimpy, silky attire from the layers of tissue paper in which they'd been wrapped, she held up the red satiny ribbons between her thumb and forefinger, still pondering what part went where. The small photo on her iPhone didn't help to guide her at all. This little, for want of a better term, get-up - the birthday suit playset from Agent Provocateur - should have clearly been sold with its own set of instructions.

Oh, what an interesting afternoon it was going to be...if she could only figure out the fondue pot and her own fucking lingerie!

"Easy stuff first," Ana coached herself as she slipped her toes into the foot of the red fishnet thigh-highs. "Just don't fall on your ass putting your hose on!"

The sparkly heart-shaped pasties, complete with tassels, were also quite simple to figure out. Capping her tiny but taut nipples, she knew she was only arousing herself with her own little costume. However, it never took much. In fact there were times when she could will herself to orgasm just thinking of Christian.

Oh, if he only knew about her little secret...indulging without him. He'd punish her. Perhaps she needed to confess, she thought. She wondered what his trusted, Naughty Sassy Ana App would have to say about that little indiscretion.

Louboutin heels in one hand and the silky little garment in her other, she made her way to the full length mirror to slink into her Valentine's Day outfit. Once she'd pulled the panties on, much to her surprise, the straps that crossed over her tummy were relatively easy to maneuver around. With bows fastened at the neck and hips, she felt like a giant Valentine's Day gift, all wrapped in crimson just for her Kind Sir. It was a shame there was no possible way to wear her collar, but Christian also appreciated when she took the extra time to choose little surprises for him.

Mustering her poise, she made her way back toward the tiny kitchen in the six-inch spikes she wore. Giggling to herself, sometimes she wondered what ever happened to that sweet little Anastasia Rose Steele from Montesano. But that answer was quite simple. She'd moved to New York and met and married Christian Grey. And she wouldn't change a single moment.

However, just as she'd begun to stir the chocolate sauce, her hopes high for a little food play later, the first of the three locks turned, and Ana stopped so suddenly, frozen in time. She hadn't even picked up her clothes yet! Oh, Christian was going to be one Cranky Kind Sir in about a minute...

Obviously, he hadn't made his way up to the penthouse, as he was literally covered in snow - those thick auburn locks coated with a layer of snowflakes, which had also speckled his navy blue P-coat. Folding his leather gloved hands together, he merely shook his head.

"You know I don't like to punish you on holidays, Mrs. Grey..."

_ Protest, and he'll do it!_ she thought to herself. "But the snow...and Zabar's was packed...and I wanted to...I just..." She noticed that her voice always seemed to rise an octave when they played.

"Do you know that I just had to walk three blocks in the snow because Broadway is closed due to a an accident, Anastasia?" he said. Through his gruff, though, Ana could see that smile of approval as he appraised her new little outfit. Yes, she could even discern that he was already calculating unwrapping those bows. "Now, I come home...expecting a little release with my wife...and there's a mess on the floor...she's not even finished preparing her little treats for me. And dammit...she's not in position yet."

Turning carefully in those damn shoes, Ana sucked on her bottom lip and pressed her shoulders back, the tassels swinging to and fro from her breasts as she swiveled.

"But I...you...we have..."

"Uh-uh-uh!" Christian raised his hand as he crossed the room toward her. "Excuses are not accepted, Mrs. Grey, and you should know that by now."

In one swift move, he'd clasped her hands in his and held them above her head as he pinned her with his body against the cold, stainless steel refrigerator. "Should I deny you on this frigid, snowy afternoon?"

Now was her chance to spill the beans and send her punishment into overdrive. "I can do that myself, Kind Sir," she insisted. "Without touching myself."

Raising a brow, his pride swelled. Such a perfect wife was she.

"Oh, yeah, Sassypants?" he challenged. "Show me..."

Ana took one very slow, deep breath into her lungs. Wrapping her fingers around the refrigerator door handle, she opened her blue eyes wide and held his gaze as he watched her. Already, she could feel her clit twitching beneath that damp wisp of satin that covered her, and her nipples seemed to just press against those damn little pasties.

_ "Uhhhhhhh..." _she groaned.

However, Christian couldn't resist closing just a bit of distance between them, fearing she'd collapse and hurt herself as orgasm took hold. Placing a hand on each side of her, he was ready to catch her, just in case.

"Tell me what you're thinking right now, Anastasia."

"I'm thinking...ohhhh, I'm thinking I'm on my knees, Sir..."

"And what are you doing?" he prompted her.

"Sucking you...sucking you off, Sir...and I'm...oh...oh, fuck..._oh, fuck, fuck fuck...!_"

Without warning, she gripped his shoulder as she kicked her heel, scuffing it against the hardwood floor. His face was so close, so intense, as she writhed before him but not against him. As her body just trembled from head to toe, Christian hadn't laid a single finger on her, yet orgasm consumed her wholly and completely with just the mere thought of blowing him racing through her mind.

Christian's thoughts were likewise awhirl, as she amazed him once again with her sexual appetite for him. Her abilities to please him - and to please herself - were just astounding. Seeing her submit to her own pleasure always sent jolts of electric desire straight through his cock. Witnessing her shaking and screaming and calling out his name when all he'd done was simply walk in the door and give her a mild scolding nearly reduced him to ashes.

He fucking hated losing control with her, but he simply couldn't resist slipping his hands between them, ripping away those two little hearts from her nipples and dipping his head to bite down, drawing one swollen little bud between his teeth.

"So help me, Anastasia, if I come in my fucking jeans...you're getting spanked until next Valentine's D-"

Reality, however, stuck him suddenly like a bolt of lightening to a tree.

_ Fuck. The power went out._

The last time he'd lost power in the apartment building was during Hurricane Sandy, and the generator failed, sending him to live out of his own damn office for a few days until electricity was restored on the Upper West Side. Obviously, the replacement generator, for which he'd personally paid for the entire building, wasn't able to withstand the elements either. However, with a foot of snow on the ground - and continuing to fall - there was no way he was about to leave this building.

"Christian..." Ana finally managed, her breathing ragged. "My first New York blackout?"

The blinds were drawn, so they were left in near darkness for the moment but for the tiny flame flickering beneath the fondue pot. However, he couldn't simply leave her standing there while he searched for candles. It was probably going to get very cold, too, and although their body heat would keep them warm for a while, there was no way at that second that he could possibly walk Ana up the emergency staircase to their penthouse at that given moment.

Thinking quickly, he murmured against her hair, "Baby? Listen to me, OK?" He'd faded from Fifty Shades of Domination to Fifty Shades of Tenderness in about sixty seconds. Ana certainly had a way with him.

"Yes?"

"We're breaking for a moment, alright?" he said, carefully sliding down her tiny frame to carefully remove each shoe. "Hold on to my waist, and I'm going to help you to the bondage bed. Got it?"

"Still playing...?"

"In a bit, baby, just let me..."

The sound of Taylor's fist pounding against the door startled them both once again.

"Everything alright in there, Mr. Grey?"

"Will you fucking wait a minute for chrissakes?" Christian bellowed, but his attention never left Ana. He had to get her settled before he dealt with his own security. He was just happy this space was relatively small. They didn't have far to go.

Somehow, he managed to ease her up on the soft leather mattress on the bondage bed without incident, then turned to find the candle on the vanity behind him. The strike of the match nearly blinded him with the most scant amount of light. Removing his wife from that little bit of lingerie she was wearing was going to be another task, but he had to deal with Taylor first.

"Was that fucking necessary?" Christian demanded, as he opened the door so roughly that even Taylor worried it would fall off its hinges, then stepped into the hallway, careful not to allow the door to close and lock behind him. He'd just realized hadn't even taken off his coat, but perhaps he should, as Ana might need it.

"Look, you pay me a hell of a lot of money to keep your ass safe, Grey," Taylor hovered above him. "The cameras are out. And I'm staying right here until you two newlyweds are ready to take this party back upstairs."

"Fine," Christian shook his head. "Just make sure that someone lights a fire upstairs so that the cats don't get cold..."

"Already done. And my associates are all in place at center command."

"Good..." Christian nodded. "Just don't scare the fuck out of us again like that, got it?"

"Yes, Sir..."

In the darkness, he wondered if Taylor had that damn smirk on his face that drove Christian to the brink of insanity. Oh, what secrets Jason Taylor beheld.

With that, Christian slammed, then triple-bolted the door again, and made one straight line for a waiting Ana.

Nearly tripping over her clothes on the floor, he muttered under his breath, "This is why you need to pick up after yourself, Anastasia..."

"Punish me for it, Sir..."

"Oh, I intend to," he said, and took off his jacket. "But first, are you cold?"

"No, Sir..."

Still, he covered her with his heavy wool coat. "Well, keep this on until I'm ready to punish you. We need some light...and I need to chose my implements..."

The absolute silence brought an eerie sense to the room. Snuggling up under Christian's jacket, she mused that with the blizzard shutting down the entire city, the absence of the usual random street noises to which she'd grown so accustomed enhanced the atmosphere.

"I hope that you still can find your way around in this blackout.."

"Ana, I think I know my way around your body in the darkness."

That was true. And now, he even knew his way around the New and Improved Red Room of Pain.

She tried to guess what he was digging for in her toybox, in the drawers...but as she continued to fantasize about Valentine's Day Blackout Sex...her nose caught the drift of something not so pleasant.

"Christian..."

"What, baby?"

"I smell chocolate burning..."

Of course, they'd both forgotten about the damn fondue pot between Ana's magical orgasm and the fucking blackout. If nothing else, he reasoned, as his boots pounded across the floor to attend to the flame, at least the drama settled his dick down for a few seconds.

_ So much for feasting on fine chocolate from your wife's nipples this evening_, Christian thought. Ah...but there was something else that's she'd been begging him to do to her...something actually quite useful, given the circumstances. But that could wait a bit. First, he had to issue her punishments.

Helping her to sit up, he eased his jacket away from her and hung it on one of the hooks built into the bed before scooting her along, just so that she was sitting at the very edge. Dutifully, she opened her legs for him. And those little red panties were dangerously dripping.

"Quite adorable, Anastasia," he complemented, pulling at one of the straps, "but unfortunately, this has to go..." In truth, Christian simply needed to rid his own filthy mind of the thoughts of her earlier orgasm in this little get-up.

Ana stretched her neck out so that he could unfasten the bow at the collar, then pulled, actually snapping the bands from her waist and down toward the panties. "Lift," he tapped her hip, and dragged them away, allowing them to fall to the floor.

"You'll get them later," he instructed.

Nodding, Ana whispered, "Yes, Sir."

One hand on each thigh, he rolled her red thigh-highs down and dropped those, too.

"Now..." He folded his arms over his chest and just looked at her, head slung in obedience as she scooted her little bare ass along the edge of the mattress. "Five cracks - and one clothespin - for everything on my list tonight. Got it, Sassypants?

No wonder the birthrate went up with blackouts. Ana thought they were having just far too much fun! Thank God, though, with a little help from Christian's automatic text reminders, she'd never missed a single pill.

"Yes, Sir..."

Taking her chin in his hands, he lifted her head. "Are you going to come again?"

"No, Sir!"

"Good. Now..._go_..."

"I wasn't ready for you this afternoon, Kind Sir..." she began to list off her misbehaviors.

"And?"

"And I wasn't in position."

"Keep talking, Anastasia," he prompted, "we're not through yet."

"I-I let myself come...without you, Sir...touching me..."

"Good girl," he commended. "Then what?"

"If the power hadn't gone out...you would have come...and spanked me..." _Damn generator failure,_ she thought.

"And I would have made you clean up the mess, too," he added.

With a near mournful sigh and a heave of her shoulders, she pouted, "My loss..."

"Yes, your loss indeed, Sassypants."

"And...and one more..." she added with a suddenness he hadn't anticipated.

_ One more?_ he wondered to himself. Christian ran through his mental list of her indiscretions, and came up empty. But if she wanted five extra cracks and an extra clothespin, who was he to deny her?

"Go ahead."

"I burned the fondue..."

She was just too damn good, Christian thought. "Yes, you most certainly did, my bad, bad baby..."

"Naughty Sassy Ana was a bad, bad baby, Sir..." she said, pondering the placement of that fifth clothespin.

Christian wasn't sure what made him hornier - Ana biting her bottom lip, or folding it outward as she glowered. The latter was certainly stirring him back into arousal once again.

He decided then to pull his sweater over his head. It was Valentine's Day, and he thought he'd take a new approach to her punishments. As he bent down, he reached for his lace and untied it in the most leisurely fashion, then the other, and removed both boots and socks. As he stood up, he hooked his thumbs into the waist of his jeans, and waited a moment before reaching for the zipper.

"You need to understand - and be fully aware - of what your little antics do to your husband, Anastasia," he said, tearing that zipper downward.

Ana swallowed hard, her eyes trained on the outline of his cock pressing through those boxer briefs. She knew that he was going to leave the jeans on - at least for a little while - to taunt her.

"Now, about those clothespins..." he said, reaching into his pocket only to tug his jeans down a tiny bit further.

She sat up even straighter and shook her breasts, waiting. "Yes, Sir?"

With that devilish chuckle she knew so well, Christian got down on his knees before her and covered her knees with his hands, easing her legs apart. Along her thigh, he lined up five of the tiniest little wooden clothespins Ana had ever seen. This was about to get really nasty, Ana knew - and she couldn't wait.

"What could I ever possibly think to do with these, Anastasia?"

"Your discretion...Kind Sir..."

Nodding his head from side to side as if in deep thought as he contemplated, those daring gray eyes never left her warm, swollen center. "Why don't I start _right here_...?"

He took the first pin and fastened it just below her clit. And Ana was smiling.

Placing the second one right next to it, Christian asked, almost rhetorically because he already knew the answer, "Safeword?"

"Bright green..." she answered. "Sir."

As he placed the next two right along her clit, she winced slightly. There was indeed a bit of a pinch, but she'd endured much greater intensity at his creative touch. It was when he attached the final pin just at the top that she realized this wasn't so much an exercise in pain as it was in teaching her how to curtail her own pleasure. Those little clothespins were indeed placed to serve as a stimulant, keeping her cognizant of her constant need for satisfaction.

Taking her hand, he helped her off the table, then turned her around to face the bed in the dim candlelight. She could feel his long fingers tickling over her bare ass, dancing over her skin and up her back as he pressed down ever so slightly, indicating that she should rest her torso against the mattress.

"I thought we'd work on some modern art this evening, Anastasia," Christian said.

"In the near darkness, Sir?" she wondered out loud, wishing he'd stop with the tender caresses for a bit. There had been so many times when she doubted she could withhold her release...but she'd managed to curtail her raging desires just before she peaked. That night, however, she was certain that she was down for the count.

"Thought we'd put some polka dots on your ass, baby," he continued. "You so love to wear them..."

Her last shred of hope just fell over the side of that mattress. He was going to use the leather paddle with precise little holes cut into the surface. Oh, how he loved to push her...but the pain was her reward.

"Then..." he began, "I think we're going to try something new."

"New?" How he loved to toy with her curiosity.

"You'll see..." he whispered, his lips kissing her neck. "Safewords, my sweet Valentine. I love you, Mrs. Grey...

She squirmed, feeling the not so gentle pressure of his cock framed by the open zipper of his jeans pressing into her ass.

"I love you, too, Mr. Grey..."

"Come and we start over, baby," he warned, his voice tender as he raised his hand with the paddle in his firm grip. "Now..._one..._"

The delicious sting of that first crack always left her trembling in exquisite delight, but that night, she couldn't feel the pain at all, so lost was she in the transfixing sensation between her legs. She was in trouble...grave trouble...and she knew it.

The next three strikes were almost gentle, giving Ana pause to think that perhaps she just might be capable of holding out on her own pleasure. However, the heavy-handed wallop of that fifth crack just set her completely over the edge.

"Oh, _fuck!_" she cried out, knowing there was no way she could hide her orgasm, intensified by the clothespins, from her husband. That sweet prickling sensation right against her most sensitive skin seemed to be taking the long route to oblivion, lingering yet deepening with each second that passed.

Meanwhile, Christian wondered for a second time within the hour if he could hold his own with her that night. Reaching into his jeans, he closed his eyes and gave himself a quick jerk. He cursed himself for his own inability to maintain control that evening. He'd just made love to her that morning. One would think he could exert some patience.

Maybe it was the snow - the idea of being locked inside with Ana for the duration of the weekend with nothing else to do but indulge in each other - or seeing her so scantily clad in those ribbons of red. Could have even been the fact that it was the first Valentine's Day that he was spending with the only woman he'd ever loved with such abandon.

Regardless, Christian feared that his own orgasm wouldn't be long behind hers.

He filled his lungs with a deep breath, then exhaled and opened his eyes. Ana was still straining against the bed. He felt like any second, she just might call Red - and not because she was suffering from any pain. Along the way, he had to teach Ana her own limitations, and how to decide when she was drifting just a little too far into subspace. Usually, he managed to bring her back just enough to continue play.

"Baby...?" Christian bent over to hold her close for a bit, certain she could feel his heart pounding against her back. He reached for her wrist to check her pulse, which was, not to his surprise, racing. Having a mom who was a doctor did come in handy sometimes. Often, those skills that Grace had passed along over the years were useful in his sexual adventures with Ana. "Do we need a few minutes here?"

"Start...again...over..."

"Shhhh, Ana..." He kissed her neck as his voice soothed. In the beginning, he would have stopped their play completely. However, in time, her tolerance levels had increased so greatly that a short break and some gentle coaching was all she needed. "Just settle and relax. We have the whole night, baby..."

"Calm down..."

"Yes, Ana," he continued talking and stroking her back. "Calm..."

"Sinking ships...volcanic eruptions...car accidents..."

Against her shoulder blade, he smiled. Ana and her natural disasters of orgasm diversion. There was nothing more precious than his wife.

"Maybe I need to try that..." Christian mused. "Seems to work so well for you..."

"Mmmm..." Ana stretched out, her naked skin resounding against the leather. "I'm OK..."

"Do I need to pull the pins, baby?" he turned her head to look into her desire-dazed eyes.

"No, Sir."

"I'll leave them for now," he agreed, "but if it gets to be too much again, we're going to have to stop. Not as a punishment. For your own well-being."

Nodding, Ana whispered, "I know, Kind Sir. That's why I love you..."

"Ready?" he asked her.

"One more thing, please, Sir?"

"What is it?" he brushed his fingers through her hair.

"Kisses?"

"Of course." Carefully, he rubbed his lips against hers, reassuring her that it was all fine - that she should always feel safe with him - kissing her until she sighed against his mouth. "Better, baby?"

"Kisses make everything better..."

"Yes, they do," he agreed. "Now...back to the beginning. Count for me - it keeps your focus. Come on twenty-five. Ready, Mrs. Grey?"

"Yes, Sir..." _**Crack!**_ "One..."

While Ana continued to feel that slow and steady build of need once again between her legs, she willed herself to take things gradually this second time around. Christian's pauses in between each whack of the paddle were lengthy and intentional, allowing her the chance to still herself and prepare for the next.

As always, with every fifth crack, he stopped completely to check in with her. She had settled down considerably, but he should have known that clamping her clit would send her over the edge far too fast and furiously. _Bad Dom, _he thought to himself. _You fucked up. _

While Christian continued to beat himself up in his own mind, Ana allowed the ripples of pleasure to ensnare her once more, indulging in the paddle pain and reveling in the pinch against her swollen clit. The bite of the leather pulsed against her bare bottom, with an extra nip from the holes within. She adored the command of his style - each strike a surprise, from soft to sharp - keeping her guessing until the very last.

"Mmnnnnnn..._twenty_..."

Now, she'd begun to struggle a bit. The heat rising from her ass was certainly enough to keep them both warm on that snowy, powerless night. And she could only hope that she could withstand five more cracks before her clit decided to take over again. Most of all, though, it wasn't so much the spankings themselves that turned her on - it was the thrill of sitting on her raw ass later on, shifting as she poured over the filthiest thoughts of what she did with her husband behind locked doors.

"Color?" Christian closed his eyes and held his breath.

"It's...uhhhh..." Ana wiggled her bottom, only to realize that she was only exacerbating the arousal between her legs. "Um...Sir...it's yellow..."

Shaking his head, he truly wondered if they would make it. She was getting awfully fidgety again.

Again, the paddle swatted over her.

"Twenty...one..." She was so damn wet at that point that she was surprised those damn clothespins just didn't slip off.

Next, he merely brushed the paddle over her reddened ass, scraping over her sore skin.

"Mmmm...two..._twenty...two_..."

"Trouble with numbers, Anastasia?" he baited her, thwacking down again, hard...then again. "Count!"

"Twenty-three...twenty-four..."

For fuck's sake, they made it. Christian sighed with huge relief, then gave her one last wallop to remember for a while.

"Ohhhhhh...fuck...Christian...now..."

Those prickly little clothespins now pulling as Ana felt her release catch her in its stronghold yet again were the most deviously delightful trappings. It was that pull - the pressure - that seemed to simply hold her pleasure in place, drawing out her satisfaction from one swift wave into the next. Ana could have worn those tiny clamps forever and a day...but she knew Careful Christian would never allow that.

However, the sight of that sweet little flaming red ass wiggling all about in the dimmest of light as Ana lost herself in yet another throbbing orgasm just left him dangling by the edge of a cliff by his ever-weakening fingertips. It was Valentine's Day, and Christian Grey felt so off his game. Damn snow. He needed something to blame other than himself.

But he wasn't nearly done with her.

Then she felt his hand slip between her legs, and she knew she was up for a fight. He couldn't dare take her prized clothespins away so soon! She had to escape those tender yet tough hands, but when she endeavored to move away from the circle of his strong arms, she only met with his erection through his damn jeans and shorts, poking her sore bare ass. Oh, she just couldn't win with him that night!

"Nooo!" she wailed, flailing her arms in protest against him. "Can't have my clamps!"

There was nothing more that Christian loved than engaging Ana in a good struggle, but his constant worries for her still often surfaced - especially on that evening knowing that his vision was hampered by the lack of lighting and the fact that, heaven forbade, if something happened, there was no fucking way they were getting to an emergency room in any timely fashion.

_ Just hold on to her, Grey...and make it worth your collective while_. It was Valentine's Day, and he was in a giving mood.

"Anastasia," his voice warned, "did you just tell me _'nooo'_?"

"Still...coming..."

"I didn't ask about the present state of your orgasm, Mrs. Grey," he played her. "I asked if you'd used a negative in response to my order?"

"Yes...ooooh! Yes, Sir...I did..."

Hands cupped - one on her breast and the other around her lower lips - he paused for a moment before giving both a rough pull. The stilted cry of shock, followed by the deep moan of pleasure that rumbled from her throat, bolstered that consuming force of passion that had already left her overwhelmed.

"Again, please...Sir?"

"Since you asked so nicely, perhaps I can accommodate..."

"Please..." her voice now wavering, choked by her own bliss. "_Please, Kind Sir?_"

While giving her nipple another tug, Christian decided to pull off just one of the clothespins, but he had already readied himself for a thrashing Ana in his arms.

The tiniest ounce of pain trickled over her clit, compounding the feel of her seemingly never ending orgasm. Carefully, he helped her to lie flat upon the mattress, making certain that her feet were planted firmly on the floor, but the feel of the leather pressing against her nipples only fueled her hunger. Every nerve ending in her body craved his personal attention. But he was turning her yet again, rolling her on to her back...lifting her legs up on the table. Sex with him was always so thrilling, if not athletic...and he certainly knew how to keep her guessing.

So damp and dewy was the vision of her clamped clit before him, and Christian couldn't deny his urge to press his mouth against her and slowly drag every last of the four remaining clothespins away, allowing them to drop from his lips to the floor.

_ Don't swallow and choke on one, Grey, he warned himself. Fuck, get rid of them. Now!_

While he held her hips in place, Ana braced her feet against the thick wooden posts of the bed, thrusting ever close to him as she continued to writhe in ecstasy. Numbness gave way to the sweetest brand of pain as he freed her, then suckled her clit into his open mouth.

"Kisses..." she hissed, ripping at his hair and daringly pressing him closer.

"Kisses...kisses...kisses..." he muttered against her, his breath cascading over her like a light summer breeze.

In his torment, he bit down upon her lower lip, sinking his teeth into the softness of her flesh, wondering all the while if he'd left a mark and hoping that he didn't break the skin. However, he was just so insanely wild for that he couldn't stop himself. Oh, they both needed to just cool it down a few degrees. So much for no heat in the middle of a blizzard...

Without warning, Ana sat up, scooting herself closer to the edge. As she watched his seeking mouth, the lap of his tongue, the pull of his teeth, with unbridled fascination. Her hands found her breasts and her nails sunk down into her nipples. Playing with herself unless instructed, in any capacity, was his greatest no-no; however, Ana had long ago lost her concern for the rules.

Never one to miss a trick, Christian reached up, grabbed her wrists and held her hands still. All the while, his lips continued to suckle, bringing her to one final, devastating explosion that still left Ana crying out for more.

Then, ever so quietly, as her legs found their way around his neck, Christian rested his head in her lap, nuzzling his now stubbly cheek against her thigh.

_ Restraint, Grey_, he warned himself. _Carla...Kate...Elena..._hmmm...maybe Ana was on to something. However, rather than accidents of catastrophic proportions and the often evil workings of Mother Nature, he could just conjure images of the odious women who had crossed his path in his lifetime when he felt the need to contain his raw lust for his wife.

"Intense..." she whispered at long last, once she'd caught her breath.

"_Indeed_, Mrs. Grey," he said, placing one tiny kiss upon her leg. "But I'm not nearly done with my Valentine yet..."

"More...?" she smiled, her fingers now merely weaving through his hair.

"After we do some triage here between Ana, Naughty Sassy Ana and old Mrs. Grey here..." He pushed himself up and circled his arms around her.

"You still haven't fucked me..."

"Dammit, I keep forgetting that trip we need to make to the library," he teased.

"You might have patience," Ana teased, "but I feel your fortitude waning."

"_Anastasia_..." he shot her a sideways glance as he turned her over once again and went back to Domination Duty. Then with a confident smile returning, he smoothed his hand over the welts on her bottom. "So beautiful, baby, if I do say so myself."

"I wanna see..." she insisted, but he held her down.

"Still..." he ordered, and turned his back on her for just a second to find the lotion he'd left on the vanity.

Then, Ana began to relax once more as she felt his hands on her shoulders and rubbing deeply into her neck. "That's nice," she said, settling her head against the pillow of her arms.

"And I feel goosebumps, Mrs. Grey," he said, his fingers skimming down her arms. "I think we're going to take this party upstairs by the fireplace..."

"But Taylor and Saw-"

"Hush..." he whispered, trailing kisses all the way down her spine. "Sawyer was going to try to leave early. Besides, the camera's aren't exactly in working order in this blackout, baby. I'll make sure Taylor has plenty to occupy himself in his little secret room."

And as his hands glided their way over Ana's bare ass, he knew she was going to feel the burn later. That paddle was new, needed some breaking in. Luckily, they were fully stocked on diaper cream.

"Can you stand up, baby?" he asked.

"I think so," Ana said, stretching out. "Do I get to look now?"

_ So fucking cute! _he thought. She always had to marvel at the marks when he spanked her.

"Awww..." Ana turned to regard her ass in the floor-length mirror. "Polka dots!"

"You wear them well, Mrs. G," he said, priding himself on his own attempt at art "And we've still got one more - ahem - application to that fine piece of art."

Her eyes and her smile grew wide with anticipation. "Another spanking?"

"Nope!"

Whipping her head around to look him in those calculating but playful eyes, Ana said, "Well...what...plans do you have for my ass, Mr. Grey?" Standing on her tip-toes to whisper in his ear, she asked, "Does it have anything to do with intercourse of the anal variety?"

"Ah, guess again," he said with a wink.

"Why...you've stumped me, Mr. G!" Oh, if she could only read the dirty thoughts behind that stare of stone. If he played Poker, he could double his fortune with that bluff. "Give me a hint...please?"

"You know I love my surprises," Christian said, rummaging through their drawers to pack up for the long, cold, winter's night.

"I bought caviar..." Ana said, pulling her treats from the market from the fridge. "We should probably eat this before it goes bad...the package is still cold..."

Just a year ago, Ana recalled, she was stuck in their college apartment while Kate zipped around getting ready for her next hot date. Jane Austen was the only romance on Ana's schedule for that evening. Now, she was fretting over spoiled caviar.

"Oh, fuck..."

"What?" Ana turned suddenly, squinting to see him in the scant light. "The caviar?"

"No!" Christian scowled. "Taylor's still outside. Shit, baby, put this on..."

Struggling into the arms of Christian's winter jacket, she giggled as he buttoned her up. Although nude beneath, it covered her well, dropping nearly to her knees.

"It's dark. He won't see much," Ana assured him. "And I'd bet that he's grown up enough to surmise what we do in here..."

"He's a-sexual, Ana - at least in my mind," Christian said, finally pulling his sweater over his head. "Let's just leave it that way. Fuck, we have a mess to clean up in the daylight hours."

"Or we could just come back tomorrow and make a bigger one," she suggested.

Lifting the hem of his coat, he cracked her one last time on that sassy little ass.

"Move it, Anastasia," he commanded. "Your husband is starting to freeze..."

"I can easily warm you up," she said, nearly sitting upon his palm that still covered her bottom.

"Oh, and like no one else can, Mrs. Grey...like no one else can..."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

"Easy, Mrs. G," Taylor said as the three of them climbed the seven flights from the studio to the penthouse guided by only the light of his flashlight.

What Taylor construed as faltering, Ana was actually engaging in willfully, with all intents an purposes in mind, when she stopped dead on the landing. Christian had been following her, keeping her steady with his close proximity, and she could not resist a quick squeeze to his groin in the darkness.

"Meh!" Christian coughed, then muttered in her ear, "So getting you back..."

"Alright, Mr. Grey?"

"_Fine_, Taylor," Christian said, his suddenly slightly soprano voice echoing throughout the stairwell.

"NSA rules!" Ana pumped her fist, inadvertently striking Taylor in the back.

_ Eight more months of newly-wedded bliss_, Taylor thought, _then perhaps they'll settle down after their first anniversary_. It was wishful, but he knew quite unlikely, thinking. A couple of kids might force them to nest. Deep down inside, Taylor hoped that Grace would have that grandchildren talk with them again - and soon. But then he would have the little Greys to follow around, and with parents like these two...

_ You're fucked_, Taylor thought to himself.

"Um...sorry, Taylor..." Ana's little voice squeaked.

This stairwell was clearly going to be the greatest climb of Jason Taylor's life.

Quite joyfully, Ana clomped up the stairs in the flats she'd worn to work. There was just no way in hell that she was going to make it all the way up to the penthouse in those stilettos she'd discarded back in the Red Room of Pain.

However, it was Christian who stopped Ana on the next landing, when he so stealthily wedged his hand inside the front of his own jacket that she wore, promptly slipped his middle finger inside of her with just a quick jiggle, then removed his hand just as easily.

Impressed, though, he was that she managed to remain silent - just as he had trained her - throughout his little payback.

"Well made, Mrs. Grey..."

"Et tu, Bruté?"

"We'll always have Paris, Ana..." he mused. "Always have Paris..."

"Yeah," she breathed, her tone so airy. "And most of the Loire Valley, too..."

Now the War of the Greys had taken a sinister turn, and they still had three fucking _long _flights to go. Only child was she, Ana couldn't resist playing the brat with him, if only within the confines of their sex life.

"One step...two step...three step..." She was stalling...and allowing Taylor to gain some ground. "_Four_..."

Fingers nimble, she bunched up the back of Christian's coat and bounced against his hard cock, riding him not so gently through his jeans. Much to her surprise, he didn't fight her. In fact, his hands gripped her hips and his nails bit down into her tender skin as he pulled her closer.

"So quiet we are this evening, Anastasia," he said, thoroughly enjoying their not-so-dry hump on the stairs. "You've been so bad, but for this - you must be rewarded. Intensely rewarded..."

Bouncing up the next few steps, two at a time, Ana wondered out loud, "What the hell are you planning?"

His silence only made her tremble beneath his large coat, shaking her nipples against the silk lining. Oh, she wanted to know what the hell had crossed that deviously delicious mind of his. Ahead, she could see the flicker of Taylor's flashlight, and by that time, she was anxious just to be home - inside their humble abode with the kitties...and playing out whatever fantasy he had in store for her next.

At last, when they'd reached the top of the stairs, Christian stepped in front of Ana, essentially hiding her from the view of his other three body guards in the hallway. She was covered, technically, but he didn't want any other man taking any closer inspection of his wife.

"Tay, all that filing you guys haven't done for three months?" Christian said as they stepped inside the foyer.

"What about it, boss?"

"It can indeed be done by flashlight," he said, jarring his own memory and picking one of the many mini torches from the entryway table for Ana's use. "And I've got lots of batteries, should you run out..."

"Yes, Sir," Taylor saluted. "And your cats have had dinner. Enough to feed an entire city block of starving deli cats."

As Taylor retreated to the security room to fulfill his administrative tasks, Natasha and Pierre dashed around the living room with their new toys that Christian and Ana had lavished upon them that morning, chasing their play mice with the full bravura of wild jungle cats. They just made Christian chuckle. He never thought that two little furry creatures could capture his heart. And these days, Natasha nearly had separation anxiety when he left for work in the mornings, crying at the door for him, so said Mrs. Jones. Pierre, though, was still a mama's boy...and Christian's ties still remained his favorite toy of all.

"It's the carpet cheetahs!" Christian said, diving to his knees to toss a toy out to their furkids. "Ana, go pee..."

"Uh...go _what_?" she asked.

"I said that you should go urinate - _now_, Anastasia," he repeated. "You're going to be immobile for a bit. It's a sound idea to empty your bladder. And put your hair up."

"Oh, we're playing again!" she clapped her hands together as Pierre wound himself through her legs. "Come on, my little sweet pea. You love to follow Mommy to the potty so that you can watch the toilet flush..."

"He's weird, Ana..."

"So are you, Mr. Grey," Ana bent down to give him a quick kiss on the top of his head. "But yet, I love you more than anything."

"Did Mommy just call Daddy weird?" Ana could hear him babbling on to Tash while she made her way to the downstairs bathroom.

Just for good measure, Ana decided to grab a second small flashlight, then made her way with Pierre down the long, dark hallway, nearly bumping into a side table along the way. While the cat had healed from the corneal ulcers, he did have some vision loss in the infected eye. It was literally the blind leading the blind that evening.

Ana removed Christian's jacket just for a moment to follow her husband's instructions. She'd relieved her bladder, pulled up her hair, then turned to attempt to see her backside in the mirror by flashlight.

"Oh, what did Daddy do to Mommy's butt?" Ana said out loud, but Pierre's greatest concern at the moment was the toilet. He placed his little gray paws on the seat and just swatted at the swirling water, while Ana attempted to inspect the damage to her derriere.

"Polka dots for sure, Mr. Grey," she giggled, running her fingers over the pattern of red wheals. "Nice!"

Slipping back into Christian's coat, as he hadn't asked her to remove it for play, she bent down to scoop Pierre into her arms. His little paws were now wet, and she was mindful to close the lid and towel him off before she made her way back to Christian in the living room, two flashlights and one cat in hand.

Just as she'd suspected, he'd managed to quickly set up for their makeshift Valentine's Day date right in front of the fire. As much as Ana loved the theater, she could think of no other place she'd rather be that evening than snuggled up with her man and their kitties before the roaring flames, as the snow continued to coat the city outside.

Such a Boy Scout he could be, Christian made certain that all details were in place - the candles, the treats, a bottle of champagne (Perrier Jouet for Ana's tastes) and random First Aid supplies from their stash in the chest downstairs.

However, what caught her eye first was the sweet little scene of Natasha licking fresh caviar from his finger. "Oh, you just didn't know how spoiled you were about to become when I brought you home from the shelter, squealing in that little cardboard box...did you, Tash?" Christian cooed while Pierre attempted to wedge his way in for a lick - which their proud papa was happy to indulge.

"Christian! Don't feed them that! You'll make them sick! Caviar is not for cats"

"What?" he turned to Ana with a smile. "They love it!"

"You're on Cat Vomit Duty this evening, Mr. CEO," she said, stomping playfully along with her hand on her hip. "I am not _cleaning _up when they _throw _up!"

If only his board members at GEH knew that, occasionally, Christian Grey did indeed get down on his knees to scrub away kitty messes. That thought left Ana so terribly amused.

As she stepped ever closer, she raised a suspicious brow, when she spotted the small fire extinguisher from the kitchen and the leather sheet taken from the playroom that he'd draped over the floor.

"Fire extinguisher?" she asked first. "In case your scout maneuvers fail you and we start a bigger fire than anticipated here?"

"Oh, there's always a chance for an inferno when you're around," Christian teased her, easing his hand up inside his coat, running his fingers past her thigh and over her hip. Then he patted his lap and said, "Come here, Mrs. Grey...warm up before you take that coat off."

There was just something so strikingly sexy about Ana when she wore his clothes. Perhaps it was the fact that her body was so close to the fabric he wore himself, or the fact that he knew that come Monday morning, when he put the coat on, he would still smell the lingering scent of her lily perfume.

Now, as she held on to his shoulders and lowered herself to cuddle with him, his hands found her ass - that ass that he so loved to spank until she couldn't stop coming - and gave a gentle squeeze to her sore flesh.

Rocking her against him as her legs moved to circle his waist, he whispered, "You feeling alright?"

"Always," she touched his lips. "You take good care of me, Kind Sir..."

"And I promise I'll do that this evening," he said, drawing her finger into his mouth. He couldn't resist a little nibble. "And I want you to know that I'm going to try very hard not to hurt you - OK?"

"Christian, what are you-"

He silenced her soft inquisition with a kiss. "Something you've been wanting me to do for a while now," he said. "Something I didn't have the courage to do to you before..."

That list of her needs and curiosities, Ana knew, seemingly went on forever. There were still so many aspects of their lifestyle that they hadn't yet explored, but Christian promised her, in due time, that he would introduce her to all of her darkest desires. However, there was one item on her wish list that did stand out to Ana. It was indeed something that Christian needed to build faith in himself before he could make any attempts. Suddenly, that sheet and the fire extinguisher made sense, as did his talk of finishing off his "art project."

"Candles?" she said, blinking those big blue eyes then looking at the creamy white, flaming pillars lining the fireplace hearth. "Are you suggesting what I think you're saying?"

"I..I think I'm ready for this." He paused, but only to smile rather shyly at her. "No - Ana, I _am _ready for this..."

Often, when they weren't at play, Christian would comb her thoughts, always seeking to discover Ana's most intimate fantasies. From those conversations, he gauged her confidence, her needs, her ever evolving role in their sexual relationship. It was during those sobering moments without their usual passionate tension rising between them that he discerned how far he could push her and what limits she was ready to test or to break. During a scene, she would agree to anything, but Christian never liked making suggestions when they were both so clouded by their raging desires. He had to think...plan...weigh every last detail before deciding down which shadowy path he would lead her on any given evening.

Wax play was something that she'd mentioned once, albeit with the greatest hesitation, given Christian's scars that resulted from the torture of his childhood and teen years. In fact, Ana was so fearful of stirring up memories for him, she refused to discuss it in detail until Christian himself brought it up again a week later. Yes, he admitted, the thought of burning her accidentally terrified him, but at the same time, he embraced the notion that she did hold that much trust - that much faith in him - to carry forth. He'd done it before with other women, never once wounding any of them. But those women simply weren't Ana.

They'd tabled it, only to revisit the talk on several more occasions.

Never had Christian placed her in jeopardy or attempted to force her to do something that made her even the slightest bit uneasy, and Ana held him in that same regard. He was her Dominant partner, but the core of their relationship was trust, honesty and - above everything else - communication. If one of them breached on those ideals, the lives that they were still building together could disintegrate.

"I hesitate, Christian," Ana finally admitted, "but only because I love you so much."

"I trust myself now," he assured her, "because you've been patient...and because you've taught me how important it is to restore some of the confidence I'd lost for a while there."

"Oh, Christian...really?" Her eyes implored him. Entwining her fingers with his, she said, "I don't want you to feel pressured."

"I'm not," he told her. "Ana, you know I don't do a damn thing that I'm not fully engaged in pursuing."

"Well made, Grey." With an air of reluctance, Ana shrugged her shoulders. There was always an out in their play. And she needed to remind him. "We'll go slow...and safewords work _both ways _here...?"

"I will safeword you if I start to panic, baby," he said. "I promise you..."

He'd only ever broken one promise to her - and that was in buying her a wedding gift. Ana took his words so very seriously, and she knew he also took hers with the same regard.

"Trust me to blindfold you?" he asked, squeezing her fingers a little tighter. "Part of the little game I have planned..."

She giggled, as if he'd just asked the most ridiculous question in the world - which in Ana's mind he did! "_Implicitly_."

"Are you warm?" he asked, his hands now resting near the top button.

"Yes, Kind Sir..." she answered. "I'm cozy by this fire."

Ana watched as those long fingers worked their way down the front of his coat and as he paused for a moment to kiss her between her bare breasts. They were scening yet again, but there was none of the usual frenzy in their mad rush toward gratification. This, too, was new for them both - engaging in their enjoyment of BDSM yet making tender love to each other at the same time. They had grown, once again, as a couple.

"Ana, listen to me, baby..." he said after he'd undressed her. She was still sitting in his lap, but placid as she paid attention to his every word. "I want you to know exactly what's going on here before we start..."

"I'm listening, Sir..."

"These are low-temperature candles," he said, holding up one of the lit pillars for her to see, then dropped the wax on the inside of his own wrist, as if checking the warmth from a baby's bottle. "I'm not going anywhere near your skin with the flame...but if the wax burns - even a little bit - you must let me know immediately."

"As I said," she began, so touched by his affection and sensitivity, "Red, Yellow and Green work both ways, Sir..."

How she touched him, but he had to remain in focus. "Well, likewise, I want to know if you get chilly," he continued, "I don't want you feeling distressed for one second. This can be a very beautiful thing."

"I love you, Kind Sir," she murmured, kissing him again and feeling just the slightest stir between her legs.

"I love you, too, Penelope Grey," his eyes teased her, while he brandished the black silk scarf to cover her eyes. "That's why we're doing this..."

His moves were methodical as he wrapped the silk around her head, tying a sturdy knot just to the side for her comfort. Just as carefully, he then laid her back to rest on the throw pillows he'd grabbed from the couch with the leather sheet beneath her.

She could hear him rubbing his hands together, then felt the warmth of the oil on his palms as he pressed them against her skin, finishing off the massage he'd started downstairs in the Red Room of Pain.

"Oil," he began, "makes it easier to peel you later..."

Fingers kneading against her shoulders, he relaxed her, only to cause a bit of a stir as he poured a generous amount of the warm liquid all over her breasts. He could now see the labored rise and fall of her chest as his fingers tweaked at her tough yet sensitive little nipples.

Slowly, his hands slipped along, careful to coat her belly button as they moved along. That was a concern for him. One tiny wax spill anywhere near her navel - even with low-temp candles - could puddle and burn the sensitive skin.

He could feel the beginnings of a tremble as his hands drifted lower, his thumb working over her clit while he slipped a finger inside her, but she was in no hurry, simply losing herself in every trace of his touch.

"Quick one, baby," he whispered, his lips against her ear. "Come _now_..."

"Ohhh...Sir..." her body undulating with such leisure against the pressure of his hand. There was no rush, no fevered race. Just one delicate orgasm was enough at that moment to sate her.

"Good girl..."

As she sunk further into the pillows, relaxed by his little surprise of pleasure, she could feel him pulling away - could hear him clinking with something. All the while, she basked in the heat from the fireplace, allowing her guesses to take a backseat to the sensations he'd elicited upon her so far.

The sudden chill along the underside of her breast brought on a shiver. "Oooh!" she called out.

"Like this game, baby?" he teased, capping her nipple with something cold and slippery and allowing the water to fall in droplets over her breast. "Color?"

"Green, Sir..."

At that point she recognized his implement - it was an cube from the bucket that was chilling the champagne.

"Fire and Ice...this is why I need to know if you're too chilly to play..."

"Warm, Sir..."

"Drink, Mrs. Grey?" he asked, holding the champagne flute near her open lips for a sip. He'd always thought of everything - including bendable straws for her convenience.

"Mmmm..." Ana cooed as she swallowed.

"Turning you over now," he said, but not without resisting one last nip of his teeth at her breast. "Need to work on your ass first..."

With another cube, he sketched over her back, leaving a frigid, swirling line in his wake. "You must be hungry, too, baby," he observed, feeding her a toast full of caviar then licking the missed bites from her chin.

This salacious assault against all of her senses left Ana feeling dizzy in the most delightful way, and Christian knew her body so well, astute on how to elicit whatever reaction he so desired. He began again at her shoulders, soothing her back with the massage oil and the strength of his hands. Fingers molding into her muscles as he worked his way downward, he drew a long, happy purr from Ana that reverberated against his fingertips.

Then again, his hands disappeared from her body, and Ana waited patiently, calculating his next move. This leisurely endeavor to ignite her arousal left her yearning with a sense of serenity she'd never experienced before in their lovemaking. That single orgasm which he permitted her to have was just so perfectly enough for Ana as he played and plied her with every last sensual weapon he had at his disposal.

What she didn't realize was that Christian needed just a moment to gather his thoughts - and perhaps his courage, too - as he held the candle in his hands.

_ Slow...steady...easy_, he reminded himself, testing the wax one more time just to make certain that he wouldn't burn her. Lifting his arm high above her body, he steadied himself, then tipped the candle...

And then her lips curled into a smile against the pillow as the first drops fell upon her crimson stained backside.

Christian swallowed deeply, then held his breath before asking, "Color, baby?"

Again, a sense of calm pervaded. "It's green, Sir..."

"Talk to me, baby," he reached for her hand, and she tightened her fingers around his for Christian's own reassurance. "Tell me how it feels."

"It's...it's just warm...and kinda tickles..." Giving his hand a tug, she pulled it toward her lips and kissed his wedding ring. "It's nice, Kind Sir..."

"More?"

"Please..."

He dropped an ice cube right in the middle of the crack of her ass, startling her to squeal in the solitude. _Back on point, Grey!_

"Please, _who_?"

"Oh, _please_, _**Sir**_..."

Allowing the warm wax to dribble - heating her up, then running an ice cube over each and every last drop to cool her down - Christian continued on with his teasing. The white wax, fanning out over her porcelain skin, looked like lace under the illumination of the flicker of flames from the fire. In fact, Ana actually found that the warm liquid soothed the delicate skin of her thoroughly paddled ass.

With this introduction, Ana found such a sense of comfort - enveloped in his all-encompassing concern - as the hot wax covered her bare backside, calming her into a deeper sense of arousal than she'd ever known. She'd discovered a new sense of peace in their fiery need for each other.

Christian dared to broaden his range, oozing the crystal clear drippings down over her hips - even testing the waters with a few droplets on the tender skin at the small of her back. That picturesque landscape of wax on skin just left him with that same cool, paced need that Ana harbored. This was, to his absolute shock, so quiet...so without haste...and absolutely romantic.

Yet although Ana's gentle murmurs of appraisal echoed in the quiet room, he still exerted caution.

"OK, baby?" he asked. He could hear the slight sound of her breath passing through her nostrils.

"Green again, Sir..." she answered, lifting her bottom toward him...closer to the flame. "Nice..._so nice_..."

Pulling his hand back, he held the candle higher. "Rest for a minute, baby..."

Again she heard him shuffling around, perhaps even moving some furniture, but she relished the sweet eucalyptus scent of the massage oil, which left her tingling all the more. This whole experience left her without words, yet clamoring to tell him how she felt closer to him than ever.

Initially, he sought so desperately to gain her trust...but little did he realize that he would need the same in her. This was another benchmark - a victory over Christian's terrors born of his own demons. That constant worry that he would hurt - or even worse, lose her - faded at long last.

"What now, Mr. Grey?" she questioned as he began to unfasten the blindfold.

"Thought that Naughty Sassy Ana might want a look..." he said, as Ana opened her eyes and saw the mirror from the far wall propped against the ottoman beside them. "Before I finish up my project here..."

As she tilted her head to look into the mirror, he resumed pouring the wax over her backside, and she pressed her hips against the sheet, feeling the rub of the hardwood floor behind that barrier, scraping against her clit.

"Polka dots and lace..." he sighed. "Just like your wedding gown. In wax and skin. By Christian Grey..."

"Can you put down that candle for a minute and come here and kiss me, Mr. Grey?"

He moved away again and sat down on the thick masonry of the fireplace hearth. "How about you toss me a pillow here for your little head, then wiggle over here for a little more," he suggested. "And then...we'll talk..."

Clutching one of the throw pillows from beneath her she gently passed it to Christian, mindful of the candles.

"Thank you, baby..."

Pushing herself up to her hands and knees, careful not to muss the artistry on her ass, she turned. Placing one hand, then the other, she braced herself...and began to clamber toward him on all fours, dragging herself along in that relaxed, gentle state into which she had fallen.

"So beautiful, Ana - learning to crawl," As Ana knelt before him, head bowed in deference, Christian whispered, "Arch your back, baby...and look at me..."

While she obeyed, Christian claimed her mouth and held the candle just far enough away for the milky wax to glaze her nipples.

Ana twisted about as he caught her waist with his free hand, her teeth biting into Christian's lips as the wax hardened around her breasts. The feeling of the crust forming around her taut little nubs bordered on divine. Her natural sensitivity to his most intimate manipulation of her mind, body and soul intensified her reactions. There was no pain to be had, just the sensation of the heated wax cooling over her skin, teasing her just a bit closer to her ultimate release.

"Oh, you're behaving so well for me, Anastasia," he groaned, his lips bruising hers. "Your patience right now has rectified your earlier misbehavior."

Ana bent back further and watched the wax pour from the pillar, trickling so exquisitely from her nipples and draping her breasts as he alternated sides. "Thank you, Kind Sir..."

"We're still at green?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

Ana's eyes locked with his for one split second - both of them questioning, both of them pondering if they might take this a step further. "Yes, Sir...green..."

"You trust me," he whispered. "And I trust you..."

"With everything," Ana promised.

Gently, Christian placed the candle down on the stone hearth, then ran his fingers delicately over her breasts. "My precious, pretty baby...what I want to do to you right now..."

"You trust me," she repeated his words, caressing his cheek with the backs of her fingers. "_And I trust you_..."

Ana's affirmation was all that Christian needed. He'd planned this almost since the moment she'd made the suggestion to him, and he'd taken every precaution according to the rule books. He felt steady...in control.

"Pay attention, baby," he said, capturing her face in the cup of his hand. "I need you to be absolutely still for me with this, understand?"

Ana nodded. Now, she could feel the pull again between her legs. Relief flooded her that he'd removed the clothespins; otherwise, she knew she would completely collapse under the pressure of her own pleasure.

"Tell me the truth, Ana," he warned. "Can you manage to hold off for a bit longer?"

"I-I think so, Sir..."

"Before I put you into position, I'm telling you - Red me if you have to come," he commanded. "This could get extremely dangerous if you don't, baby."

"I promise, Sir..." Ana said. "I understand..."

With a nod that bordered on that all-business look he wore in the boardroom, he said, "On your back, at my feet, and legs in my lap."

Already on her knees, Ana sunk willingly all the way to the floor and down to rest her head on the pillow, then smiled up at him as he spread his legs further to accommodate her. Taking her calves in his hands, he lifted her, her waxed little ass rising from the leather sheet, and bent her at the waist, maneuvering her legs apart, essentially leaving her body posed at a ninety-degree angle at his feet while he sat back, staring at the wax he'd already dripped upon her...gazing between her legs.

In the candlelight, he gave further inspection to her bare bottom, so proud of Ana for her endurance - so grateful that she still wanted more.

Christian reached for another candle, slimmer than the pillar but thicker than a standard taper, and held it up for her to see.

"Where do you want me to put this, Anastasia?"

"Inside me, Sir...just like your cock..."

_ Deep breath_, he coached himself as his hand made his way between her legs to spread her wider with his fingers. Lube was certainly not a necessity, for the most part, with his always ready wife. With the utmost precision, he slipped the candle inside of her, slowly pushing, inch by inch.

"What do you want me to do with it now, Anastasia?" He held his breath in wait for her answer.

"Light it...please...Sir..."

Closing his knees tighter, he locked her in the vise of his legs, then struck the large kitchen match on the box beside him. Once in place, he gave the candle a tilt so that the wax would trickle down upon her clit. Oh, how he'd tortured that sweet little nub of hers that night.

"Ahhhh..."

Christian began to panic for a moment, but stopped himself. "Color?"

"Oh, green! _Green_, Sir!"

"How's it feel, baby?" He _had _to know.

"Warmer...little sensitive...ahhhh...oozing...twitching..."

He knew he was likely going to bruise her hip with his clench to keep her still, and he held on to the candle with the other hand, still mindful although utterly enraptured in watching as her lower lips appeared to be sucking on that waxy rod. Her tits and ass looked so stunning, but the droplets of wax dangling around her swollen clit damn near sent his erection into overdrive. For once, he wished she'd come soon. He'd never needed to be inside her as desperately as he did at that moment.

As the wax thickened around her, Ana knew she wasn't long for the count. She was so warm and wet that the liquid never actually hardened, just merely dripped and dried enough to scrape softly against her clit. The tease against her already peaking arousal left her lightheaded. There was simply no way for her to escape her indulgence in that pleasant pulsating for one second longer. She couldn't hold on.

"_Red, _Christian...!"

Just as orgasm swept her into its stronghold, Christian blew out the candle, knowing she could have started a real fire with the buck of those hips. "Slowly, baby, I've got you," his voice soothed. "That's it...that's it, Ana...just keep coming, baby...I'll be inside you in a minute..."

"_Coming..._" she gasped.

"Oh, you certainly are, baby..." he said, then slowly withdrew the candle from Ana's fierce clench. "Such a sweet girl, Anastasia..." He'd managed to keep Ana calm, but he still had to undress.

_ Fucking clothes_, he thought, throwing his sweater to the side for the second time that night. He should have just stripped earlier...before they started this scene. Struggling with Ana to ease her back to the floor for a moment - fighting with his jeans and then with his boxers - Christian finally freed himself.

He took a seat back on the hearth and leaned against the stone wall as he patted his thighs, signaling Ana that it was time - at long last, _it was time_.

"No, baby," his voice gentled her as she attempted to sit astride him. "Stand and turn around..."

Spinning slowly, Ana obeyed with a quick, "Yes, Sir..."

Unable to resist his urges any longer, he reached out and skimmed his hands over her bottom, so boastfully admiring his own work. "Gorgeous, Mrs. Grey..."

Taking himself in his hand, he settled her right down over the throbbing ache in his cock that only she could pacify. Inch by inch, he eased further inside her until Ana was perched in his lap, her back facing him so that he could look at the rise and fall of her stippled ass while they joined.

"Lean forward just a little, baby...right there," he groaned. "_Perfect_..."

Christian studied the Kama Sutra like some men studied the Bible. There was simply no point in doing _anything _without a full commitment to mastery.

Tossing her head back, Ana rocked unhurriedly back and forth, easing herself up and down the length of his cock with the strength of her own legs, while still lost in the throes of never ending orgasm. Oh, this was so very deep - their movements almost choreographed as his hands roamed her torso, plucking away the wax from her nipples before dipping between her legs for another feel. Closing her eyes, she indulged in the complete fullness of their union.

Desperation had given way to tenderness once more. All the delicious while, as Christian's whispers filled her ear with unbridled devotion, Ana felt herself tightening around him, readying for one more fervent release.

"So beautiful and tranquil..." he murmured. "I love you like this..."

"Love you...Kind Sir..."

She could feel his lips playing against her shoulder, curving into a smile. "You'll come with me, baby?"

"_Oh, yes_..." And she quickened her pace in anticipation of his command.

"Almost there, Ana...doing so well..." he encouraged. "Just like that...keep going..._oh, what you do to me_..."

The tug of his fingers at her nipples and at her clit - just barely pulling - brought a gasp to her lips. "So good..."

Then his hands moved with greater urgency to her hips, holding her so fiercely close as he throttled himself against her. "Now..._now_, Ana...!"

"_Christian_..." she wailed, as the flood of pleasure that had been rising caught her in its fierce sweep, engulfing every last nerve within her body with ripple after ripple...bubbling over and leaving her nearly limp in his arms.

The only sounds echoing throughout that huge and lofty room, other than the dying embers crackling from the fireplace, were those of the strangled, collective breaths of Anastasia and Christian Grey.

"My baby..." he rasped. "My precious baby..."

Turning her in his arms, he squeezed her with the last bit of strength he could muster, but Ana was quick to realize that it wasn't she who needed to be held and coddled that night.

"I feel like the most spoiled husband in the world right now."

"No, Christian," she insisted, her voice cracking, weakened by the fading remnants of their shared passions. "I'm the one who's spoiled here. And I am so proud of you right now..."

"You brought us here - to this new plateau - this evening," he told her, pulling the clip from her hair.

"_You _were the one with all of the courage tonight, Christian Grey," Ana whispered, her nails grazing over his nipples. That not-so distant time when he would have violently slapped her hands away for touching him there seemed almost non-existent now.

"Oh, no, baby," his lips covered hers. "This was about you..."

"_This_," Ana began, "was about _each other_..."

"Ana, I..."

"What, my love?"

"I just love you, Anastasia...I just love you..."

Her soft chuckle tickled against his chest. "_That _we _agree _on - I love you, too."

His chin dropped to the top of her head, scratching her with his stubble. "Will you argue me if I ask how you're feeling - physically - right now?"

"Tired," she admitted, but her smile could have easily lit up that dark room.

"I bet you are, baby."

Hoisting her into his arms, he headed for the couch. Often, in the evenings, Ana loved to just snuggle up with her head in his lap, occasionally just dozing off while Christian clicked away on his iPad, finishing up business for the day. It was one of his favorite times with her. Words weren't necessary. Comfort came in her simple need to just be close to him.

However, he hoped that she could keep her eyes open for just a few more minutes.

"Wanna open this?"

He'd hidden the tiny box behind a stack of Ana's books that were sitting on the coffee table. Those pretty pink lips pursed with a knowing smile, as he placed the small gift in her hands.

"Talk about spoiling, Mr. Grey..."

"Just open it, Mrs. Grey...and give me your foot before we're both too tired to lift your leg..."

"What are you...?" But as she lifted the lid, his intentions became clear. Inside the box was an anklet - designed in platinum and clasped by two diamond encrusted handcuff charms.

"I think this is now my second-favorite piece of jewelry - after my collar," she leaned over to give him a kiss. "I have the _best _Valentine in the world..."

"So much for not arguing, Best Valentine in the World..." he teased her back as he fastened the bracelet around her ankle. Ana couldn't stop herself from a little modeling. She pointed her toes and sliced her leg through the air. The diamonds glittered in the darkness, adding just a bit more sparkle to her night.

"Oh, you just have to..."

Suddenly, Ana's phone began to ring, bringing their banter to an abrupt end. "Jill - I must take it."

As Ana answered the call, Christian muttered, "Elliot's call won't be far behind hers."

"Ana, our batteries are dying over here, so we've gotta make this quick!" Jillian said, as Elliot called out in the background, "Happy VD, Penelope!"

"What are you guys up to?" Ana couldn't wait to hear.

"Listen...are we on speaker?" Jillian wondered out loud.

"I'm here!" Christian called out.

"Good - and hi, Christian - because we just wanted to tell you both that-"

"Shit!" Ana screamed, slamming her iPhone repeatedly against the pillow. "Shit, shit, _**SHIT**_!"

Dead went the other line.

"Dammit!" she cursed again. "I'm dying find out what he got her!"

Christian just smirked that sadistic grin of his. "Wanna know?"

"He told you? I knew it! And you were sworn to secrecy because she's my best friend! It's a ring - in diamonds. For her left hand?"

With a knowing shrug, Christian smiled. "How about a little wager?"

"Oh, fuck...Naughty Sassy Ana's in trouble..."

_ Oh, fuck_, he loved to hear that little potty mouth on her. "How about I clean you up - take care of that little ass for you...and then we go upstairs..."

"Yeah..."

"You know...a blowjob in bed might be nice...it's been a couple of days..."

"Oh you...Mr. Grey!" she squealed, indignant for only a moment. "Happy Valentine's Day...'

"Oh, yes, baby," he groaned. "A _very _happy Valentine's Day...for all of us..."


End file.
